EAs

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is the United States' nationwide public warning system for disseminating urgent information to the public during emergencies. The system coordinates alerts from federal, state, tribal, and local authorities and distributes them through broadcast radio and television, cable and satellite TV, wireless carriers, and other participating communications paths. EAS messages can include severe weather warnings, AMBER alerts, and other national or local emergency notifications.

History and framework: EAS was established in 1997, replacing the older Emergency Broadcast System. It is administered in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is integrated with the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). EAS uses standardized procedures and header information to ensure consistent routing of alerts across multiple networks and devices. The system can deliver both localized alerts and national alerts, including Presidential alerts during extraordinary emergencies.

Operation: when an alert is issued, the originating authority selects the event, location, and message content, and the information is broadcast to EAS participants, which include radio and TV broadcasters, cable operators, satellite radio and other platforms. The channels then relay the message to downstream participants and to end users via compatible devices. IPAWS coordinates with other alerting tools such as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and NOAA Weather Radio to broaden reach.

Other uses: EAS is primarily the US system; the acronym can also refer to organizations or systems outside the United States, though these uses are unrelated to the Emergency Alert System.